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First Freedom: The Fight for Religious Liberty

(Rochester, NY) – Learn how the Founding Fathers raised the ideal of religious freedom to the level of a fundamental human right in First Freedom: The Fight for Religious Liberty, an important new documentary premiering Tuesday, December 18, 2012 at 8 p.m. on WXXI-TV/HD (DT21.1/cable 1011 and 11).

Told through exciting historical re-enactments, the Founding Fathers’ own words, and the commentary of key experts, the documentary profiles the lives and times of the colonial Americans — including Jefferson, Franklin and Washington — who codified freedom of conscience for the first time in human history as an inalienable right protected by law. “First Freedom” details the progression of religious liberty from Pilgrims and Puritans to the creation of the Bill of Rights and how it shaped a new nation, guaranteeing religious freedom for its citizens and establishing a free marketplace for religion in the United States. A government without the interlocking authority of religion was utterly unprecedented in Western history and within a generation of its creation, it produced a vibrant religious culture still unmatched anywhere in the world. “First Freedom” also explores with scholars, historians and writers the contemporary tests of religious freedom, current interpretations, and the lasting legacy of the Constitutional guarantees.

First Freedom: The Fight for Religious Liberty is a production of Groberg Films, Inc. in association with WETA Washington, D.C. The executive producers are Dalton Delan and Jim Corbley of WETA.

Image: American Founding Father George Washington on the steps of his home, Mount Vernon, in a re-enactment from First Freedom: The Fight for Religious Liberty.Image credit: Courtesy of Mark Mabry for Groberg Films, Inc.

WXXI is the essential, life-long educational media resource for the Greater Rochester area. WXXI puts the community first with programming that stimulates and expands thought, inspires the spirit, opens cultural horizons and promotes understanding of diverse community issues. Log on to wxxi.org for more information about our services and programs.﻿